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The Provincetown Art Association and Museum presents regular live consignment auctions and preview exhibitions twice yearly, and these events have served to present works of art that may not otherwise be seen by the general public. The proceeds from PAAM's auctions directly benefit the exhibitions and educational initiatives of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum. |
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| Provincetown Art Association and Museum's Fall 2007 Consignment Auction Sets Records A perfect storm has been building at PAAM since 1988, when the Fall Consignment Auction began. “The freshness of artworks offered for sale by consignors,” says auctioneer James R. Bakker, “combined with the sophistication of collectors we now attract, create many record-breaking situations.” For two consecutive years, records have fallen like leaves in a strong autumn wind. Abstract Expressionist works come of age At the most recent auction, a half-century after their heyday in the art colony at Provincetown, several Abstract Expressionists achieved their highest prices ever. A packed house, six active phone lines and absentee bids added to the sometimes frenzied advances as the bidding on several pieces blew away previous records. In particular, Taro Yamamoto’s Abstract with Sand and Pebbles got the gavel at $2,875 and his Tribute to Hofmann fetched $4,715. Angelo Ippolito’s untitled mixed media piece topped out at $2,875. In one of a few breathtaking bidding wars, the winner of William Freed’s untitled oil took it for $14,950. Several people were in the market for the Peter Busa oil, Remembrance. While the half-dozen phone bidders dropped out after an opening bid was doubled, two people in the audience continued to build the excitement until it burst into cheering as the final bidder stayed in to take the painting home for the stunning sum of $40,250. Landscapes and figurative works also got their due. An untitled white-line woodblock print by Marjorie Windust, with the original block, got $5,405, while the hammer came down on the charming Lucy L’Engle oil—Parker House, Truro—at $26,450. Four beautiful untouched Ross Moffetts, consigned by the family of one of his fellow artists, went for between $2,875 and $9,775. No doubt, PAAM’s recent Edwin Dickinson exhibition added to the crowd’s interest in his drawing, Great Island Cliffs, which finished at a solid $9,200. Even with all this achievement, there were still opportunities for the budget-minded and young collector. A Gerrit Hondius litho, The Lovers, and a John H. Gregory black and white photo left the auction for the hammer price of merely $75 each. To accession important works into the permanent collection, PAAM depends on the generosity of its supporters. Consignors would often love to contribute a fine work to the collection, but may not be in the financial position to do so. Yet they know that, by offering the work for auction at PAAM, they give the organization the opportunity to search out a potential donor who may wish to contribute the piece back to the museum. Such was the case with the L’Engle, an exemplary painting that will enhance the strength of PAAM’s holdings of her work. |
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featured lot: Alvin Ross still life. Complete Auction Listings pending. 
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info@paam.org |